Chapter 30: The Film Emperor Keeps a Black-Hearted Vixen

Su Tang didn't hesitate for a second; she decided to use her magic. Since she wouldn't be able to use it for much longer, she might as well make the most of it now.

Suddenly, Wen Tian, who had been busy stir-frying, became flustered and clumsy. Everyone’s attention was drawn to her. They watched in confusion as Wen Tian somehow managed to burn the food. She looked at the pan, then at the people around her, her face filled with panic. Song Heqing frowned at the ruined dish, which was clearly beyond saving. With a resigned sigh, he took the spatula from her hand and said, "Let me handle it."

Wen Tian handed the spatula over in a daze and stood there, motionless. Shen Lü frowned, clearly displeased. "Is this even edible now?" They had received a generous amount of pork and had planned to eat half of it now, saving the rest for later. Since it was their first time preparing it, they had been looking forward to a good meal, but now it was ruined.

Song Heqing dumped the contents of the pan, scrubbed it clean, and began preparing the dish again. Wen Tian clearly hadn't expected things to turn out this way; although she hadn't cooked in a long time, she had been confident in her abilities. This was a development she never anticipated.

Su Tang sighed to herself, feeling a twinge of guilt. She stepped forward, took Wen Tian by the arm, and led her to the side. "It’s alright, Sister Tian. Don't we still have plenty of meat left?" she comforted.

Wen Tian ignored her. She didn't care about these people; her only concern was Song Heqing. She had gone to great lengths to orchestrate this opportunity to woo him, yet she never imagined it would end like this. With that thought, she glanced at Su Tang. Her heart was filled with resentment, though her expression only flickered with a brief flash of malice before returning to normal. It was all Su Tang's fault. If it weren't for her, none of this would have happened.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have tried to be so clever," she said. Though her words were aimed at Su Tang, her eyes were fixed on Chang Qinghua nearby.

Chang Qinghua smiled. "It's fine, it's not a big deal. A little less food won't hurt; it's not like we're going hungry." Shen Lü just snorted and remained silent. Seeing Song Heqing busy at the stove, Su Tang immediately went over to help.

With Wen Tian no longer by Song Heqing’s side, Su Tang felt as though she could breathe more easily. The live stream comments, which had been full of criticism for Wen Tian, shifted as soon as they saw the pair working together again, with viewers now flooding the chat with praise for the "Qing-Tang" couple. This improved Su Tang’s mood, and she tackled her chores with renewed energy.

The next day, the cast woke up early to wait for the director’s team to announce a new way to earn points. Unlike the old days when Su Tang would arrive late, it was now Wen Tian who was consistently the last to appear. Su Tang had stopped wearing makeup during this period, but Wen Tian clearly couldn't do the same; she insisted on applying it every day. She refused to be outdone by Su Tang in terms of appearance, though this naturally invited mockery from many netizens.

Once everyone had arrived, the director clapped his hands. "Alright, now that everyone is here, let’s announce the new rules. As you all know, we’ve rented this land, and there are several plots nearby that were originally intended for rice paddies. We hadn't planned to use them, but we’ve decided to make full use of every resource."

Chang Qinghua raised his hand eagerly. "Is our new task to plant rice?"

"Exactly! We’ll give you ten points for every plot!" After saying this, the director packed up his things and prepared to leave. Everyone was left in a daze, confused by his hurried arrival and quick departure.

"Is that it?" Su Tang was clearly the most bewildered of them all. Were programs this casual nowadays? Seeing her blank expression, Song Heqing chuckled. "That's it. Let’s get ready, eat, and then head out to work."

After eating, the group stood before the fields, once again feeling stumped. Although Su Tang had lived for a long time and done many things, she had never actually farmed before. Even though everyone was wearing rubber protective gear, Wen Tian frowned in disgust at the sight of the muddy mire. Who knew what kind of things were lurking in that filthy muck? If it weren't for the show, she wouldn't have wanted to get anywhere near it.

In truth, everyone else was also a newcomer to such work, but they appeared excited and full of drive. Shen Lü sidled up to Su Tang. "Come on, let’s go together." He reached out to pull her along.

Su Tang looked back at Song Heqing. "Oh, this doesn't require teamwork, let's all just go together." As she spoke, she grabbed Song Heqing's arm. She gave him a sly smile and said, "Brother Song, aren't you going to pull Brother Chang along?"

Song Heqing understood and grabbed Chang Qinghua, who in turn cooperated by grabbing Wen Tian. As they stepped into the mud for the first time, they all stumbled and swayed. Shen Lü was the first to enter, taking a confident, large stride. He hadn't expected to sink so deeply, and as he tried to take his next step, he pitched forward and fell.

This was the perfect moment to demonstrate their friendship. However, Su Tang realized she wouldn't be able to hold him up, so she let go instantly. With a loud "splat," Shen Lü face-planted into the mud. He had quick reflexes and managed to catch himself with his hands, but that left him stuck in an incredibly awkward position where he could neither get up nor sink further.

Shen Lü sighed. "Su Tang, you let go way too fast!"

Su Tang clung to Song Heqing and giggled. "I knew I wouldn't be able to hold you up, didn't I?"

"Well, aren't you going to help me up now?" Shen Lü was clearly struggling to hold his weight.

"Oh, right!" Su Tang reacted, hurrying over to pull him. But she clearly couldn't budge the man stuck in the mud, so she looked to Song Heqing for help.

Song Heqing smiled and stepped forward. "Let me." With a gentle tug, he easily hoisted Shen Lü up.

Su Tang raised an eyebrow, saying meaningfully, "Brother Song’s 'boyfriend strength' is certainly impressive, but as for Shen Lü… well, tsk tsk tsk."

Shen Lü’s face turned bright red, and he marched over in a huff. "Oh, so that’s how it is, Su Tang? You didn't help, and now you’re standing there making snide remarks?" He reached out, his hand covered in thick mud, and lunged toward her. Su Tang leaned back hurriedly, but before she could pull her legs out of the mud, his hand was already right in front of her.